


Voltron: Team Of... Eight?

by EmeraldLight



Series: Kaxel Chronicles [4]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Blood and Injury, M/M, Swearing, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-20
Packaged: 2021-02-19 09:28:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22708690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmeraldLight/pseuds/EmeraldLight
Summary: ***On hiatus until further notice. Please accept my apologies. I only have the will to work on things when they actually get attention (I'm needy like that) and OCs just don't get attention**The Paladins, and Axel, have been brought to the Castle of Lions... but there are only five Lions and six teenagers.Note: The first chapter was originally included in my "How The Paladins Found Out" fic, but since its grown a mind of its own, it needed its own fic.
Relationships: Keith/Original Male Character
Series: Kaxel Chronicles [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1627846
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Confessions_of_a_Closet_Bibliophile](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Confessions_of_a_Closet_Bibliophile/gifts).



How The Paladins Found Out - Scenario Three

“...and Pidge, you will pilot the Green Lion,” Allura smiled, clasping her hands in front of herself as she finished assigning Lions to the Earthlings who had released her from her sleep chamber. As the five were marveling over the technology and the holographic display of the Lions, her attention was drawn to a quite, slender looking Earthling she had failed to notice from the beginning.

“Who are you?” she asked, moving past the newly appointed Paladins and approaching the unknown person standing in the command center with them.

“Uh… I’m Axel,” the blonde smiled sheepishly.

“How long have you been here? How did you get into the castle?”

“I’ve been here the entire time,” Axel rocked on his toes a little, feeling incredibly awkward. “I rode in the crazy Blue Lion thing with the rest of them.”

“You… really? The entire time?” Coran seemed rather perplexed by this, circling the blonde and poking at him. “How did we not see you?”

“I’m not exactly the attention drawing type.” The Paladins all nodded in agreement. In the short time they had known Axel - all of a few hours - they had often forgotten he was near by. Axel had even been completely silent during their terrifying trip to the planet the castle was located on. Even when Lance farted.

“Why are you here?” Allura asked him, still perplexed by his presence.

“Keith is here, so I’m here,” Axel shrugged, causing Allura and Coran to turn towards Keith before returning their gaze to Axel.

“Why does that matter?”

“Keith is my husband.”

“Axel!”

“What?” Axel frowned at the dark haired teen. “Is it supposed to be some sort of secret?”

“Well, no…” Keith mumbled.

“Then why the grumpy look? You married me, just a few months ago in fact. On your birthday. But suddenly I’m not allowed to say it out loud?” Axel crossed his arms over his chest, making the other four Paladins slowly inch away from where Keith stood.

“Axel, it’s not like that,” the Red Lion pilot tried, but clearly he had touched a nerve.

“Nope, you’ve dug your hole, Keith,” Axel glared at him. “You tell me you love me. You buy me a nice ring. You marry me. But suddenly it’s a big secret and no one is allowed to know. What, are you ashamed of me? Are you worried about being gay, is that it?”

Allura and Coran had joined the Paladins who had slunk further away from the warring couple, the Princess leaning in to whisper a question.

“Are all Earth relationships like this?”

“No, just them,” Shiro sighed, unimpressed by his adoptive brothers’ reactions. He was sure it was just because Axel was stressed out, the blonde having anxiety issues for as long as Shiro had known him, but it was still unfortunate timing. The group turned their attention back to the married couple.

“Axel, you know I didn’t mean anything by it!” Keith was trying to defend himself, reaching out to take his husband’s hands, only to be slapped away.

“No. NO. Do NOT,” Axel pointed a finger at the younger male, taking a step back. “Don’t you dare touch me, Keith. If you didn’t want people knowing, you shouldn’t have brought me along with you!”

“Axel…”

“NO. I am DONE with this conversation!” The blonde threw his hands up in the air as he spoke. “I am walking away and I am… I’m… I’m getting myself lost in this stupid castle, and you better not follow me or I’ll plant my foot up your ass!”

Axel indeed turned and stormed out of the command center, leaving Keith gaping for several seconds before the Paladin hurried after his husband, still trying to apologize.

“Is he always so… volatile?” Coran asked, absolutely stunned by what he had just witnessed.

“Only when he’s stressed out,” Shiro told him. “There’s a reason he’s not a pilot.” Pidge and Hunk nodded in agreement, while Lance was still shocked at what had gone on.

“Do all Earthlings get married at such a young age?” Allura pondered, shifting her attention to the remaining Paladins. Shiro chuckled and shook his head, educating Allura and Coran on the more ‘normal’ rituals of Earth relations.

Down one of the castle hallways, Keith managed to catch up with his husband, but not because Axel had wanted him to. The entire situation of leaving Earth, leaving the solar system, leaving the galaxy, landing on an unknown planet, meeting aliens, and learning about an intergalactic war had taken its toll on the blonde. Not to mention his emotional outburst that he would, eventually, admit he had completely blown out of proportion.

Keith knelt down beside where the young adult had sank to his knees in the middle of the hallway, sighing softly as he watched Axel’s shoulders shake as the blonde pressed his head against the floor.

“Axel…”

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry…” Axel whispered repeatedly, struggling to calm his breathing. Keith hadn’t witnessed Axel having a panic attack in a long time, rubbing his hand along Axel’s back.

“It’s okay,” he tried to soothe him. “I know you way too well to think you meant any of those words you said, don’t worry.”

It was over an hour before Axel was able to calm himself, accepting Keith’s hand to help him up off the floor. Keith was prepared for Axel’s legs to betray him, catching the blonde in his arms as his legs wobbled from a combination of the weird position on the floor and the adrenaline from the panic attack leaving his body.

“I’ve got you, don’t worry,” he smiled, curling his arms around Axel’s waist and waiting until his husband was steady before leading him back to the command center.

“...and Pidge, your Lion is located on this green planet. You and Shiro can take a flight pod and retrieve your Lion while Lance and Hunk go after the Yellow Lion.” Allura paused in her instructions, smiling as Keith and Axel approached the group.

“Welcome back,” she said warmly. “I was just telling Pidge and Hunk where they can find their Lions.” A strange look passed over the Princess’ face and she realized there was a possible complication.

“Oh, Axel, there isn’t a Lion for you,” she said as though just coming to this conclusion.

“Thank the gods for that,” Axel told her. “I have zero interest in getting back into that stupid flying demon unless it’s to go back to work.”

“You… don’t mind?”

“Oh hell no, I don’t mind. Fuck that. All of it. Fuck all of it. I’m an Archivist, not a pilot. I have the reflexes of a penguin and the nerve of a fainting goat. I’m a glorified librarian!” When Allura and Coran turned towards Shiro for a translation, the newly appointed Black Lion pilot assured them that Axel was not upset about not being a pilot.

“Breathe,” Keith encouraged the blonde.

“Well then, I suppose you’ll stay in the castle while the others form Voltron,” the Princess nodded a little. “I’m sure there’s something we can find for you to do.”

“I suppose going home isn’t an option,” Axel sighed, leaning his head on Keith’s shoulder with a small pout.


	2. Chapter 2

“I did NOT sign up for this, Keith!” Axel paced back and forth in the room he and Keith had been assigned, alternating between wringing his hands and throwing his hands up into the air in frustration.

“Technically, none of us did,” Keith sighed, sitting on the bed and pulling one of his knees against his chest, watching his husband pace.

“I’m not a pilot!” was the return argument.

“So? Neither are Pidge or Hunk, and they’re still here.” Keith knew he wasn’t helping the situation by pointing such things out, but he also knew it had to be said.

“But YOU are! And so is Shiro! AND EVEN LANCE!”

“Axel, you’re freaking out a bit too much.” Keith reached a hand out towards the blonde, trying to coax him to come sit down. “Besides, Lance is barely a pilot.”

“Too much? TO MUCH!? I specifically picked a career that involved me being as far away from space as possible, Keith! My archives are literally UNDERGROUND.” Axel clenched his fists at his sides at he stared at Keith with disbelief, shocked he would say such a thing to him. Keith would never admit it out loud, but Axel was honestly more adorable, than scary, when he was angry. The blonde was nearly as short as Pidge, after all, even at the age of twenty, and his slender build and waist length hair didn’t help the situation.

“Axel, I love you, but you need to calm down…”

“I AM PERFECTLY CALM!”

Keith winced, wondering if the rest of the newly appointed Paladins were perched outside the bedroom door, listening to their conversation. He had no doubt that Axel’s voice was probably easily heard through the door.

“I know you’re scared, and honestly, I think we all are,” Keith spoke slowly and calmly, trying to choose his words carefully. “There’s a lot to process and very little time to do so, so I understand your anxiety, but shouting at me isn’t going to fix anything.”

“All of you get magical Lions to kick ass in. I get to stand beside a pair of aliens and hope I don’t get in the way.” Axel was muttering now, crossing his arms over his chest and shifting his hips to one side as he stared at his husband.

“Axel…”

“You can NOT tell me that I have some sort of skill that is even remotely needed, Keith. I don’t know the language, I’m not a pilot, I’m not a mechanic, I’m not a tech wizard, I’m not even a good navigator!”

“The Blue Lion wouldn’t have let you board it if you didn’t have something to contribute to this war, Axel.”

“How do you know that? The Princess didn’t notice me until AFTER she assigned Lions to all of you. Perhaps the Blue one didn’t notice me either!”

“There’s a difference between not noticing a quiet person and not picking up on a person’s biometrics. The Blue Lion brought you with us for a reason, Axel, we just need to find out what that reason is.”

“I just want to go home…” Adrenaline starting to fade now, Axel wrapped his arms around his torso and fought against the tears that were welling up.

“I know,” Keith sighed, moving to his feet and taking the few steps across the room to pull Axel into his arms. “We all want to go home. But if we run away now… there won’t be a home to go to. You heard Shiro… the Galra are heading for Earth. If we don’t stop them here, everyone we care about will die.”

The two stood in the middle of the room as Keith stroked Axel’s hair, gently rocking the smaller male in his arms. He had spoken the truth - there was a lot to process and very little time to do so, and that just wasn’t how Axel operated.

“We’re going to get through this,” he promised, pressing a kiss to the top of Axel’s head before resting his chin there. “We’re together, and that’s all that matters. Hell, we even got Shiro back.”

Lapsing into silence, the pair simply held one another, Axel’s head tucked under Keith’s chin as he took calming breaths. They didn’t break apart until a knock on the door startled them, Keith frowning as he released his husband and crossed the room. Both were surprised, yet at the same time not at all surprised, to see Shiro standing in the doorway. Keith stepped back, allowing the older man to step inside.

“Checking on us, Shiro?” Axel rubbed at his eyes with the back of his hand, hoping his face was no longer flushed from his little freak out.

“I’d like to say I’ve been checking on everyone,” Shiro shrugged. “But honestly, I’m a bit more worried about you.”

“Us?” Keith asked.

“No, I’m worried about Axel.” Shiro looked his suedo-adoptive brother up and down, taking in the defensive stance and still-pink cheeks. Axel glanced at the ground, somewhat ashamed that he was so easily read. Shiro sighed and moved forward, wrapping his arms around the blonde and hugging him firmly, smiling faintly when Axel finally relaxed into his embrace.

“I’m sorry…” Axel mumbled.

“Sorry? For what?” Shiro and Keith asked at the same time, both frowning as they glanced at one another before looking at Axel.

“For being weak…”

“Oh, Axel… You aren’t weak,” Shiro ran the fingers of his left hand through Axel’s silky hair. “We’re all different people with different personalities. Different strengths and weaknesses. You wouldn’t be here if you weren’t critical to winning this war.”

“See? I’m not the only one who knows this,” Keith said, though his comment earned a slanted look from Shiro. Heaving a sigh, the dark haired male opted to embrace Axel from behind, smiling against the back of Axel’s head as he felt Shiro’s other arm embrace him.

“We’re all going to get through this,” Shiro tried to assure them, even if he wasn’t so sure himself. After all, he had been missing for nearly a year, and had lost his arm, all thanks to the Galra.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT: This chapter includes descriptions of violence and blood. Please read at your own risk. Ratings have been modified to reflect this.

The Galra bomb planted inside the unfortunate Rover robot breezed past Lance, Coran, and Axel who were laughing and chatting as they toured around the Castle, the trio making their way back to the party that was taking place in the main hallway. When Lance’s greeting to the robot went unnoticed, and he realized Pidge was no where to be seen, his quick thinking mind had him throwing himself against Coran and Axel, sending all three sprawling as the bomb went off. 

As the others arrive, Axel is cradling Lance in his arms, as best as the petite male can, frowning as he tries to wake the Cuban male. He barely hears the others talking around them, focussed on ensuring Lance isn’t seriously injured. Coran and Hunk are leaving the castle with Pidge leading them to the pod bay, Keith and Allura are rushing to the aid of the Arusian’s who reported their village was under attack, and Shiro stands guard over the fallen Blue Paladin and Axel.

Moving Lance to a safer location was Shiro’s first priority, glancing over his shoulder as Axel hurried along behind him. He was somewhat concerned by the fact that while he and the other Paladins had armor, Axel was running around in a baggy long sleeve shirt and what he assumed were leggings. Not at all battle ready, that was for sure.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here?”

The voice sends chills down Axel’s spine and he peers around Shiro to stare with wide eyes at the Galra soldier standing in front of them - Sendak.

Shiro gently set Lance on the floor, silently commanding Axel to watch over him as he took up a defensive stance, his mechanical arm beginning to glow. Axel finds himself moving between the impending battle and Lance’s fallen body, taking his own defensive stance, though it looks almost laughable to see such a small male doing such a thing.

Watching the two large men battle it out was gut wrenching, but Axel vowed not to move a muscle. If Shiro was to fall, Axel would be the last barrier against Sendak killing Lance. Unfortunately his focussed gaze left him open to attack from behind, the blonde crying out as an arm curled around him and a blade was pressed against his throat. Shiro twisted to come to his brother’s aid, but Sendak immediately struck him in the head, rendering the Black Paladin unconscious as well.

“Time to go, brat,” Sendak all but sneered at Axel, waving a hand at Haxus to release Axel, knowing the blonde won’t be any trouble. With sentries carrying Lance and Shiro’s unresponsive bodies, Axel walked along in silence, heart pounding in his chest. This was why he was so anxious about being in the Castle - he was not a soldier! But he knew enough to keep his fearful facial expressions to a minimum. Showing weakness would make him an even bigger target, and he had already been the cause of Shiro’s assault.

Dropping Lance and Shiro to the floor of the bridge, the sentries train their weapons on Axel, the blonde once more putting himself between his fallen friends and their captors. Bi-chromial eyes watch every movement carefully, Axel’s muscles tense as he fights against the fear that continues to mount inside him. He doesn’t really understand what Sendak is doing, but soon comes to realize that the other Paladins aren’t coming to save them, and Sendak is launching the Castle.

Wait, launching? The Castle? The Castle is a ship?

“I don’t understand why they keep someone as weak and pathetic as you around,” Sendak turned to face Axel, chuckling as the petite male lifted his arms into a defensive position. “I assume it’s for sexual purposes, but why keep a female with no mammary glands?”

Axel wasn’t about to correct the larger male, his jaw closed tightly, eyes tracking Sendak’s every move. He knew he wouldn’t stand a chance against the alien, but he had to try - he was Shiro and Lance’s only hope of survival. If the Castle left the planet, there would be no reason to keep any of them alive.

“How about we have some fun while we wait, hmm?” Sendak was upon him before Axel truly knew what was happening, a large hand closing around his throat and lifting him completely off the floor, causing the blonde to thrash and claw at the hand. The sound of Sendak chuckling filled his ears, along with the sound of his heart pounding, and the purple male used his metal hand to poke and prod at Axel’s torso.

“The Green one is quite small as well, but seems that he at least has some skill worthy of being in the Castle… all I see of you is smooth skin.”

Axel winced as sharp claws dug into the skin on his hips, piercing the flesh and drawing blood.

“So easily broken… It will be fun to play with your squishy body. I look forward to wringing all sorts of delicious sounds from your mouth.”

Pain flared over Axel’s stomach as Sendak raked his claws over exposed skin, causing the blonde to close his eyes tightly. If not for the hand gripping his throat, he would have cried out, but he was thankful the sound was kept at bay. Sendak wanted to see him show pain, to show fear, and Axel was determined not to give him that pleasure.

Suddenly he found himself sprawled on the floor, gasping for air as spots danced in front of his eyes, his head spinning as he coughed and wheezed. There was no time to recover as Sendak flipped him onto his stomach, flesh hand pressing into Axel’s shoulder, pinning him down. Axel grit his teeth against the pressure, sure Sendak was trying to leave all of his weight on that one point. He hid his face against the floor, refusing to make a sound, though his arms and legs betrayed him and twitched and flailed.

If he held his breath, the sounds were easier to keep inside, but a startled gasp left his lips as the sharp claws of Sendak’s metal hand split the back of his shirt wide open, exposing his lightly tanned skin.

Tears welled in his eyes, despite his best efforts, as Sendak started between his shoulder blades, pressing the claw against his spine and dragging it down. Soft, tender flesh split as though being cut with a scalpel, though there was no doubt the claw was just as sharp. Blood spilled almost instantly, staining Axel’s tattered shirt and dripping to the floor.

The blonde’s lower body had began to shake as pain flooded his senses, legs going rigid and lifting somewhat off the ground. The hand pinning his shoulder applied more pressure, pressing him more firmly into the floor.

“Stay still you little brat. I’m just starting to enjoy myself.”

Axel’s eyes had began to roll as he found himself losing the battle against the pain, only to snap open as Sendak put his entire weight onto his flesh arm, pressing down against Axel’s shoulder. With a gut wrenching crunch, the blonde’s shoulder gave under the pressure, causing Axel to scream out in pain. His entire body thrashed for a moment before it all became too much and he went limp.

“Pathetic,” Sendak sneered, moving to his feet. He kicked Axel’s body aside, watching him slide across the floor and remain unmoving, a bloody streak showing his path.

Alarms went off, alerting the Galra male to the fact that the particle barrier had gone down, but it was too little, too late. Keith, Allura, and Pidge all rally to take back the Castle, Keith only able to spare a worried glance at his unresponsive husband and his friends before he sprang into action.

Soon enough it was all over, Lance having woken just long enough to shoot Sendak in the back, allowing the others to get the upper hand. Keith immediately rushed to where Axel lay, still bleeding, his hands shaking as he fought against the urge to gather Axel into his arms and the worry that moving him would do even more damage.

He hadn’t realized Shiro had regained consciousness until he felt himself gently nudged aside, Shiro gently lifting Axel’s broken body from the floor.

“Coran installed the new crystal,” he spoke quietly. “Help with Lance. The healing pods will be operational by now.”

Together the team made their way to the sleep chamber, worry etched on all their faces. It was somewhat easy to say that Lance would be fine, but Axel’s injures were so much more severe.

Keith pressed his hands against the pod as soon as Axel was placed inside, resting his forehead against the glass as he stared at his husband, willing him to survive. Shiro waved the others off, grateful when Allura assured them that the computer would let them know when Lance and Axel were ready to wake.

Only Shiro and Keith remained, the older male embracing his younger brother from behind and holding him tightly. He wasn’t surprised when Keith turned and hid his face against his chest, lifting his hand to gently stroke the dark, shaggy hair.

“Shiro… I…” Keith began, but his voice caught in his throat, emotions threatening to spill over.

“He’s going to be okay,” Shiro told him, even if he wasn’t sure he was speaking the truth. All they could do now was wait, and hope.


	4. Chapter 4

Sendak’s infection of the Castle caused chaos from top to bottom, including two different instances where Keith was informed, by the Castle’s computer, that Axel’s lifesigns has ceased and he had been declared dead. Coran and Lance nearly jumped out of their skins when Keith came racing into the room, Lance immediately reaching for his bayard even though he wasn’t wearing his armor.

Once Keith was satisfied that Axel was not in danger, the Red Paladin returned to where he had been sparring with multiple robots… not that his sparring session went any better. After nearly being beheaded, speared, slashed, and generally assaulted, not to mention saving Lance from being ejected from the airlock, Keith’s nerves are completely fried.

He and Lance are under the false impression that the worst is over, but things only continue to get worse as Allura steers the Castle directly into an imploding star.

No one is quite sure how Allura gets her head back on straight, but when the Paladins look around to ensure everyone is okay, they find Keith missing from the command center. When Hunk immediately starts to panic, Shiro leans over to gently rest a hand on the larger boy’s shoulder, reminding him that there is only one other place Keith would be - with Axel.

*****

As Pidge made her way through Sendak’s memories, searching for critical information that the team could use to help them win the war, the petite female stumbled upon a memory that made her stomach turn and caused her to shove back from the computer somewhat abruptly.

“Pidge?” Shiro frowned. “What’s wrong? What did you find?”

“Nothing anyone should ever have to see,” was the Green Paladin’s response, Pidge wrapping her arms around herself in a hug as she avoided looking at the computer screen. When Shiro moved to investigate, she shook her head and urged him not to look, but Shiro persisted.

“Oh…” his voice trailed off as the repeating memory played on the small screen, a look of horror crossing his face before it turned into a look of anger.

“Shiro?” Allura wasn’t comfortable with the way her Paladins were acting.

“I need you to bring Keith up here,” Shiro told her. “He needs to see this.”

“What? Shiro! No!” Pidge protested, her eyes wide behind her glasses. “Of all people, Keith shouldn’t see this!”

“I think we all need to see this, unfortunately,” Shiro sighed. “We need to be aware of what happened. There are no more secrets within this team, remember?”

As Allura summoned Keith, Shiro asked Pidge to take the others to the lounge area and use the screen there to show them the memory. He cautioned them that what they were going to see was going to be hard to handle, but that it would help bring the team together. Pidge reluctantly agreed to do as her leader asked, transferring a copy of the memory to her tablet before leading Allura, Coran, Lance, and Hunk out of the room.

Keith arrived not long after, no doubt having pried himself away from Axel’s healing pod, and the grim look on Shiro’s face told him that what was about to happen wasn’t going to be pleasant.

“I need to show you something,” Shiro told him, absently picking at his fingers as he wondered how to explain this. “It… It’s Sendak’s memory… of Axel…” Keith’s face showed a variety of emotions, but only for a split second before the dark haired teen composed himself and turned towards the large, main screen.

“Show me.”

Shiro flicked his finger across the small screen Pidge had been using, sending the video to the main screen and making it play. The memory started from the moment Sendak and his men had happened upon Axel, Shiro, and the unconscious Lance and continued forward through every agonizing moment Sendak spent torturing the blonde.

Keith clenched his hands at his side, gritting his teeth as he forced himself not to look away. Axel had lived through this, so Keith could at least watch it. He owed it to Axel, penance for not being there when his husband had needed him most.

Shiro approached Keith from behind and couldn’t help but embrace him, wrapping strong arms around his brother as they watched Axel’s pain filled last moments. Chills ran down their spines when they heard the gut wrenching scream Axel had released before his body had gone limp and he had lost consciousness. No doubt the pain had overwhelmed his nervous system and he immediately went into shock.

The memory continued forward but Keith wasn’t paying attention, turning away from the screen and pressing his face into Shiro’s chest. Silent sobs wracked his body, making his shoulders shake as he battled against heartbreak, nausea, and pure, barely checked, rage. If Shiro hadn’t already ejected Sendak into space, Keith would have no doubt marched into the depths of the Castle and executed the Galra himself.

All Shiro could do now was assure the teen that Axel would be okay, but he still wasn’t sure if the words he was speaking were true. Altean technology was impressive, but Axel’s wounds had been some of the worst any of them had ever seen, including Coran. Had they been on Earth, Shiro wasn’t sure if he would have survived, but if he had, the likelihood of Axel losing his arm due to the shattered shoulder would have been high. Not to mention the damage to his spine which had seemed like it was more than just split flesh.

Time would only tell if Axel would wake, let alone be able to walk or have use of his damaged shoulder and arm.

*****

Who knew that rushing through a wormhole and being followed by a bomb could cause so much havoc. Keith sighed as he observed both Shiro and Axel contained within recovery pods, shoving a hand through his shaggy hair. Being a Paladin was rapidly becoming a pain in the ass. He was considering having a shower and working tense muscles when one of the pods began to beep and he twisted to see who was waking.

Axel’s bi-chromial eyes opened slowly as the barrier keeping him inside the pod dissolved away, managing a sleepy smile as he managed to focus on the person standing in front of him. Two short, wobbly steps had him falling into Keith’s waiting arms and Axel let out a soft groan, muscles sore from being stationary for so long.

“You’re awake,” Keith smiled, wasting no time in scooping Axel up bridal-style and holding him close. The motion made Axel’s head spin and he closed his eyes, turning his face against Keith’s neck.

“I think I died…”

“You’re alive, I promise,” Keith told him, pressing a soft kiss to his hair. Axel’s clothes were still stained with dried blood, making them crusty and stiff, prompting Keith to begin the trek to the showers.

“Was I asleep…?”

“Something like that. You’ve been in one of the recovery pods, healing.”

“I think I died…” Axel repeated again, making Keith frown and hold him a bit closer as he walked.

“Let’s focus on getting you cleaned up, okay love? I think you’ll enjoy a long, hot shower.”

Thankfully the showers were empty as Keith entered them, carefully sitting Axel on a bench and cupping his cheeks with both hands. He had been worried he would never see his husband’s differently colored eyes ever again and he wanted to take a moment to enjoy them once again. Gentle hands then moved to remove Axel’s clothing, Keith’s heart jumping as he pulled the remnants of the shirt away and exposed the newly formed scars that graced one of Axel’s hips and sliced over his stomach. A reminder of Sendak’s rough treatment, but still nothing more than white lines on lightly tanned skin.

“I feel… heavy,” Axel groaned. “Like when you have the flu and your whole body aches and your head feels too big for your body.” Keith managed a chuckle, continuing lower to remove Axel’s shoes, socks, and finally his pants and underwear.

“The shower will help,” he said as he stepped back, quickly undressing before he carefully slipped his hands under Axel’s arms to help him stand. Although weak, Axel indeed had working legs, and his arm seemed to be fully functional as well. Altean technology would never cease to amaze him.

Moving slowly, Keith chose a shower with a bench, sitting Axel down before redirecting the shower head to rain down on the blonde’s torso. The two lapsed into silence as Keith carefully and lovingly washed Axel’s weary body, watching him wiggle his fingers and toes as he became more alert. As he had Axel lean forward, Keith had to bite back a gasp as he saw the scar that ran from between Axel’s shoulder blades down to his hips. It was a lot more rough looking, jagged edges marring Axel’s otherwise smooth skin, and he could tell that Sendak’s claws had gone much deeper on this part of Axel’s body. His shoulder bore no marks of where bones had been shattered and crushed, but Keith knew about them nonetheless. Flashes of the video containing Sendak’s memories washed over him and he knelt on the tiles, pulling Axel into his arms and holding him close. The attention made the blonde giggle softly, curling tired arms around Keith’s neck.

“I love you,” Keith told him. “I love you so much, more than you can even imagine.”

“I love you, too,” Axel responded, pressing a kiss to Keith’s naked shoulder.

The hot shower really did make him feel better, even if he spent the entire time curled in Keith’s arms, the pair sitting on the tiles as hot water poured over them. But what made things even better was the long nap he had afterwards, nestled into comfortable blankets and sleeping soundly. He even slept through Ulaz arriving, and a RoBeast attack.


	5. Chapter 5

Axel found himself settling into a comfortable routine in the Castle, working on a comprehensive record of everything the Paladins were encountering. This also meant he was spending time learning Altean, seeing as he wanted to reference Altean history that was impacting the group currently. After all, someone needed to keep track of everything and someone needed to attempt to explain why Zarkon was doing what he was doing. Unfortunately this meant that he was spending a great deal of time in the Castle command center, watching the view screens as Keith and the others battled against a variety of opponents.

The event Axel found hardest to write about was when Keith and Allura simply… left the Castle. They were sure that Zarkon was tracking the two of them, and even though it possibly put them in danger, and took Keith away from his husband, the two left in a shuttle pod.

When the remaining four Paladins came under fire, Axel watched helplessly from the command center, wringing his hands as Coran tried to summon Keith and Allura back as soon as possible. Imagine their surprise when the Red Lion took off from the Castle without a pilot and vanished into space, leaving the two remaining males completely confused.

When Keith arrived back in the Castle, he wasn’t surprised to find his husband giving him the cold shoulder, Axel snubbing the pilot as the team headed for the showers.

“Axel…”

“Nope, not having this discussion,” the blonde held up a hand, cutting Keith off and shaking his head. Keith sighed and followed the rest of his teammates towards the showers, expecting to have a proper conversation with Axel once they were alone in their room.

He was wrong. Axel, and his bedding, were missing from the room despite it being time to turn in for the night. For the day? There wasn’t really a daylight cycle to refer to, but after a battle it seemed only fitting to go to sleep. Take the rest when you can get it.

“Axel?” Keith frowned as he wandered the Castle, hands in the pockets of his jeans as he wondered where his husband had chosen to sleep. Sure, there were plenty of empty rooms he could choose and Keith didn’t fancy checking all of them, but he also wondered if Axel had opted to bunk down with another Paladin. The blonde wasn’t a solitary being - their beds had been pushed together within a week of becoming friends in the children’s home, Axel regularly complained about having private quarters while in the Garrison before Keith arrived, the blonde opting to surround himself in an unhealthy amount of pillows. When Keith had started at the Garrison, he and Axel had traded off sleeping in each others rooms, despite the fact that being caught could lead to either one of them (or both) being expelled.

And yet here Keith was, wandering the castle with damp hair, his body begging for rest, bare feet barely making a sound. He was naturally quiet, with or without shoes, and often found himself inadvertently sneaking up and startling his fellow Paladins.

The lights being out in the lounge made Keith hum softly to himself, stepping towards the sunken couch and peering over the edge. Sure enough, Axel had snuggled himself into the couch, though bi-chromial eyes stared up at Keith in the darkness.

“I’m still not talking to you,” the blonde muttered. “Go sleep in your own room, the couch is mine.”

“Axel,” Keith sighed, coming around to sit on the table that resided in the middle of the horseshoe shaped couch. “We should talk about this.”

“Pretty sure there’s nothing to talk about. You left me here.”

“I was worried Zarkon was tracking us!”

“And? I already crossed the universe with you, why couldn’t I have come with the two of you?”

“I didn’t want to put you in danger,” Keith tried to protest but Axel shook his head.

“I’m in danger every time we go into battle,” he pointed out. “The Castle is a weapon just as much as the Lions are. Just because I’m not operating weapon systems doesn’t mean I’m not at risk. Hell, Sendak already more or less murdered me once.”

Keith winced at the reminder. Axel would forever bear the scars of that incident and no amount of ‘scar reducing lotion’ would change that. Altean technology was impressive, but not that impressive.

“I know you want to protect me, Keith,” Axel sighed, sitting up and pulling his knees against his chest, blankets wrapped around his shoulders. “You’ve always protected me, ever since the day we met, but we’re not children anymore. I’m pretty sure that saving the universe makes us adults, even if I’m just an archivist.”

“I know…”

“And I know it’s not just because we’re friends, it’s because we’re lovers. We’re married, after all.” Not that they had been married for all that long. While they had been together for roughly four years now, they had only been married for a few short months - since Keith’s eighteenth birthday.

“You realize I’m always going to protect you, right?”

“Well duh, but you also have to know when to let me protect myself. The last thing we want is for you to make a stupid decision and put the team in danger because you thought you needed to put my safety above everyone else,” Axel told him. “The other Paladins, Allura, Coran… they’re all just as important as I am. And the people you form Voltron for, the people you protect, they are even more important. We’re out here fighting a war, and I don’t ever want to be responsible for the team failing because you saved me and not them.”

Keith wanted to argue but he knew there was no point, Axel was right. For the mission.

“Can I persuade you to come to bed?”

“Fuck yes, I hate sleeping alone. Carry me!”

And Keith did carry him, bundling the blonde into his blankets before scooping him up, smiling as Axel giggled and clutched his pillow against his chest.

“I wonder if I’ll ever get too heavy for this…” Axel mused.

“Never. I will always make sure to be strong enough to carry you,” Keith promised. “I mean, do you see how much stronger I’ve become since I became a Paladin?”

“Uh, yes, I get to see you naked,” Axel giggled. “It comes in very handy during sex.”

“It helps that you’re tiny and weigh next to nothing,” Keith countered, commenting on his husband’s gymnast-like body. He wondered if that would ever change, if Axel’s metabolism would change as he got older. The blonde would never grow any taller, that had stopped a long time ago, but a change in weight was always an option.

“Maybe I should start training with you.”

“I would love that,” Keith smiled, using his elbow to open their bedroom door before he stepped inside. “Nothing as intense as what I do, of course, but enough to get you into shape. A different kind of shape, less gymnast and more… track athlete, I think. You’re not out of shape as it is.”

Axel sprawled on the bed as soon as he was set down, spreading both his arms and legs and pulling Keith down against him.

So much for resting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is officially on hiatus (or possibly abandoned) as my creativity is linked to positive feedback (I'm in therapy to deal with this) and the lack of hits, kudos, comments, etc. makes me feel like no one really cares about this timeline.
> 
> Stupid and childish, I'm well aware, but mental health issues aren't really... easy to deal with.


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